Yarraman Park owners Arthur and Harry Mitchell didn’t know whether to celebrate or commiserate with each other when Decision Time won the Listed Black Opal Stakes at Canberra on Sunday.

Decision Time is by Foreplay who was set for a successful stud career before his fertility bottomed out after three years at Yarraman.

Decision Time (2g Foreplay – Daunting Thought by Just Awesome) opened his account at Kembla Grange in January and added wins at Randwick and Rosehill in February prior to the Black Opal.

“Foreplay’s fertility was manageable until it gradually become worse,” Arthur Mitchell explained.  “We will continue to monitor him in the hope of some improvement but he will not be standing in 2010.”

A son of Danehill, Foreplay was a Listed winner at Caulfield and he was also third home behind Alinghi and Fastnet Rock in the G1 Newmarket Hcp at Flemington.  He is a brother to champion South African filly Laisserfaire and hails from the family of NZ sire Centaine.

Foreplay joined the Yarraman roster soon after the Mitchell brothers lost their leading Danehill sire Catbird in June 2006.  His place at the Scone nursery this year will be taken by newcomer I Am Invincible.

Decision Time is trained by Clarry Conners and will be given his chance in the Golden Slipper if connections outlay a $150,000 late entry fee.

Conners has won the Golden Slipper with Burst, Tierce, Prowl and Belle Du Jour and the Warwick Farm trainer reckons the youngster is getting better every time he goes around.

“Decision Time is a better horse than I first thought,” Conners said at Canberra.  “It’s up to the owners whether to pay up but if they don’t go they’re silly, because he could go out and win it.”

The Black Opal winner’s half-sister by Strada was withdrawn from the 2010 Inglis Classic yearling sale.  Their dam is based in Queensland and she foaled a Chateau Istana filly in August before being bred back to Break The Vault.

Meanwhile, Connors is marking time with his other Golden Slipper candidate Georgette Silk.  The Flying Spur filly was galloped on during the early stages of the G3 Kindergarten Stakes on Saturday.  

Georgette Silk was a Listed winner of the Widden Stakes at Randwick last month but she was blown away by Solar Charged at Warwick Farm.